Joseph is Leaving

After the defeat of General Santa Anna in the year 1836, the Republic of Texas found itself with lots of land but few resources to protect it. One remedy was to issue land grants to military veterans and foreigners that would improve and occupy it. In 1845, the weak economic conditions in Germany motivated Joseph Schmidt, a young farmer, to apply for 320 acres of land at a place called Texas. It was a shock to his family, as it was "on the other side of the world" and it was not known if th...